How is fish market waste managed in the Philippines?

Improper management of fish waste is one of the factors that makes Philippine fisheries unsustainable. A considerable portion of fish waste is produced in wet markets where bulk of fish products are sold. A comparison of existing practices in different municipalities can indicate the best points of intervention and identify existing traditional practices that can be promoted. This study interviewed stakeholders of the fisheries industry and collected information at the market level to determine existing fish waste management systems. From the responses gathered, the average daily production of fish waste in Philippine wet markets was 70.3 + 0.93 kg, with no significant differences across locations (p = 0.2501). Of the fish waste produced, 32.3 + 1.33 kg per wet market were disposed of, 18.9 + 0.81 kg were sold, and 19.1 + 1.15 kg were given away to stakeholders who re-use the fish waste. A significantly greater proportion of fish waste in rural areas were re-used compared to Metro Manila (p = 0.0311). Incentivizing innovations that maximize the use of derived fish waste at the municipal level, and promoting existing traditional practices, can prove effective in contributing to the Philippine circular economy while providing alternative sources of income for the stakeholders of the fisheries industry.

A comparative study on the raw chitin and chitosan yields of common bio-waste from Philippine seafood.

Bio-waste materials from aquatic species are alternative sources of chitin and chitosan-high-value natural biodegradable and biocompatible polymers. More than 250,000 metric tons of shell, scale, and carapace waste are produced in the Philippines. An evaluation of the quality of raw chitin and chitosan yields from the bio-waste materials of Asian green mussel (Perna viridis), tropical oyster (Crassostrea iredalei), milkfish (Chanos chanos), tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and king mangrove crab (Scylla serrata) is needed for the sustainable sourcing. The mild extraction method done in this study showed significantly higher yields of chitin and chitosan for S. serrata and P. viridis (p = 0.001), with chemical structure confirmed through FTIR-ATR analysis. Elemental analysis showed pure extracts from S. serrata, P. viridis, and C. iredalei (N = 6.43-7.01%; DA = 98.7-104.1%). Extracts from the fish scales have high moisture content and glycoprotein contamination. Protein content, determined using UV-VIS spectrophotometry, was found to be significantly less in P. viridis and may be related to the fineness of particle size after grinding. It is recommended to improve the protocol to increase yield across all bio-waste materials, including additional tests to determine the quality of chitin and chitosan extracted, and to check water and oil holding capacities of the extracts to identify the best downstream applications of the varied chitin and chitosan qualities from each source.